{{fbdoc item="title" value="Quick overview of compiler modules"}}----

This is a quick map of the main compiler modules.  It is not a complete list of
every source file, but it should point new contributors at the right subsystem
before they start changing code.

''fbc''
	Compiler driver and command-line frontend.  It parses driver options, manages
	the compile/assemble/link pipeline, invokes external tools, adds libraries,
	and performs final driver-side actions such as linking or post-link commands.

	Generic driver flow belongs here.  Target-specific OS behavior should usually
	live in ''fbc-platform'' or one of the ''fbc-*-platform'' files instead of
	being added directly to ''fbc.bas''.

''fbc-platform''
	Compiler-driver platform hook dispatcher.  This module defines the hook table
	used by ''fbc.bas'' and includes one platform module for each target in the
	''FB_COMPTARGET'' table.

	The current platform hooks cover:
		- choosing the linker tool
		- adding target default library search paths
		- adding graphics library dependencies
		- adding sound library dependencies
		- adding ordinary target default libraries
		- adding linker framework or target flag fragments
		- mapping library names when one target needs a different library spelling

	The platform hook layer is for compiler-driver behavior tied to the selected
	OS target.  It is not the place for parser rules, AST behavior, ABI layout,
	or backend code generation policy.

''fbc-*-platform''
	Per-target driver modules.  One compile target maps to one file named
	''fbc-[target-id]-platform.bi'', where ''[target-id]'' matches the target id
	from ''fb.bas:targetinfo()''.

	These files keep target-specific linking and packaging rules out of
	''fbc.bas''.  Examples include Win32 default system libraries, Darwin linker
	tool selection, JavaScript and Wii linker-driver selection, devkitPro library
	paths, X11 library search paths, OpenBSD library spelling differences, and
	other target toolchain quirks.

	Platform modules currently exist for Win32, Cygwin, Linux, Android, Haiku,
	DOS, Xbox, FreeBSD, DragonFly, Solaris, illumos, OpenBSD, Darwin, NetBSD,
	JavaScript/Emscripten, and Wii.

''objinfo''
	[[DevObjinfo|Object/library information]] section reader/writer, used by
	''fbc''.  Includes small ELF/COFF object file readers.

''fb''
	Compiler-wide state and parser interface.  It owns the target information
	table, initializes target state, and starts the ''parser'' for each
	input/include file.

''parser''
	Recursive parser.  It asks ''lex'' for tokens and builds up the ''ast''.

''lex'', ''pp''
	Lexer/tokenizer and preprocessor directive parsing.

''error''
	Error reporting functions used by many parts of ''fbc'', especially the
	''parser''.

''rtl''
	Helper functions that build ''ast'' nodes for rtlib/gfxlib/sfxlib function
	calls.  Declarations here must match the actual functions in the runtime,
	gfxlib2, and sfxlib source code.

''symb''
	Symbol lookup and storage: variables, functions, scopes, namespaces, and name
	mangling.  Used by the ''parser'', ''ast'', and emitters.

''ast''
	Abstract syntax tree for per-function code flow and expressions.
	''astNew*()'' creates and connects nodes for the ''parser''.
	''astLoad*()'' is the first step in emitting and calls ''ir'' after each
	function is parsed.

''ir'', ''ir-hlc'', ''ir-llvm'', ''ir-tac'', ''ir-gas64''
	Intermediate representation layer used to emit the ''ast''.
	''ir-hlc'' emits high-level C.
	''ir-llvm'' emits LLVM IR.
	''ir-tac'' is the three-address-code path used by the asm backend and calls
	''emit''.
	''ir-gas64'' contains GAS-oriented 64-bit asm support.

''reg''
	Register allocator for ''ir-tac''.

''emit'', ''emit_SSE'', ''emit_x86''
	Assembler emitter abstraction plus the x86/SSE-specific emitters.

''edbg_stab''
	Stabs debug format emitting for ''emit_x86''.

''dstr''
	Dynamic z/wstrings, used mostly by ''lex''.

''hash''
	Generic hash table, used by ''symb'' and ''fbc''.

''hlp'', ''hlp-str''
	Helper functions used throughout the compiler, plus another dynamic
	z/wstring implementation.

''list''
	Generic linked list with built-in memory pool, used heavily throughout the
	compiler.  It is often used as a pooled allocator, for example for AST nodes
	or symbols.

''flist''
	''list''-based container for append-only lists.

''pool''
	''list''-based allocator using multiple lists with node sizes from small to
	large.  Used to store symbol identifiers with less wasted memory.

''stack''
	Generic ''list''-based stack.

{{fbdoc item="back" value="DevToc|FreeBASIC Developer Information"}}
{{fbdoc item="back" value="DocToc|Table of Contents"}}